Moroccan spiced vegetables with halloumi

This is one of those meals that got thrown together one night because I hadn’t had time to go to the shops. It’s not something I would have made for the whole family but the kids enjoyed eating it from my plate and will all happily tuck into halloumi whenever I buy it.

The recipe below will serve 2-4 people depending on what you serve it with. I had quite a small portion of vegetables and quite a lot of giant couscous with mine but the next time I make it I’ll have more veg and less carbohydrate.

The amount of halloumi I’ve suggested is enough for two decent sized slices. If you slice it too thinly you’ll get crispy cheese and miss out on the slightly chewy texture that I think makes halloumi special.

I always gently squish the halloumi before and after I cook it – it comes in a pack with some liquid (I think its salt water) which needs to be gotten rid of to help it crisp up. Afterwards I blot it to get rid of any excess oil. Apparently you can grill or dry fry it if you’re looking for a healthier option (can’t say I’ve ever tried it though!). In this recipe the oil helps to loosen the spices from the frying pan that will give the cheese some extra flavour.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4

• 1 onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp each of cumin, chilli pepper and ginger
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 50-75g halloumi per person
• 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp oil for frying

Method

1. Chop the onion, pepper and sweet potato into small pieces. Crush or chop the garlic.
2. Add 1/2 tbsp of the oil to a frying pan, turn on to a low-medium heat and add all the spices.
3. Mix the oil and spices together, then add the vegetables and stir so they are coated (you might need to add another 1/2 tbsp of oil here).
4. Cook for a minute or two then add the lemon juice, stir through and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato has softened (this will take around 10 minutes).
   

   
5. While the vegetables are cooking cut the halloumi into strips. I used 75g and cut it into two thick slices. Blot it with kitchen roll to get rid of any excess liquid.
6. Once the vegetables have softened put them to one side in a separate bowl.
7. Add 1/2 tbsp of oil to the frying pan and scrape any spice residue from the bottom of the pan, then add the halloumi.
8. Cook the halloumi for a minute or two on both sides, then take out of the pan and not with kitchen roll to get rid of any excess oil.

Enjoy with giant couscous or flat bread.